Two Lines Required for HR21?

[stewart715]

I just received a new HR21-100 HD DVR received. I plugged in my line to tuner one with the following correct settings:

Slimline 5-LNB
Normal 4x8 Multiswitch
1 Tuner
BBC Module Installed

However, I keep seeing messages that not signal was found on Tuner 2. Also, 50% of the HD channels do not come in at all while the other half comes in perfectly.

When it does the signal check it shows half with red X's and half with strong signal.

My question is, why is it trying to pull a signal from Tuner 2 when I have the 'single' tuner option selected. Are two lines required to receive all the HD channels?

Thanks Guys...

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Last I knew ,You can hook up just 1 wire and use 1 tuner, You just can't record and watch something else at the same time. This would have no effect on your HD at all. I would repeat your satellite setup again. Make sure eveything is connected first before you do the setup. And your not going to get a signal on tuner 2 if its not connected.

 

[stewart715]

Last I knew ,You can hook up just 1 wire and use 1 tuner, You just can't record and watch something else at the same time. This would have no effect on your HD at all. I would repeat your satellite setup again. Make sure eveything is connected first before you do the setup.

It's odd because I ran a longggg line from my dish to test if using both tuners would enable me to receive all of the HD channels and it did.

However, with the one tuner setting still, no luck --

Satellite Signals:
101 - 95-100 under all transponders

110 - N/A Displaying under all transponders except 8, 10, and 12 where the signal 95-100

119 - N/A Displaying under all transponders except 22-32 where signal is 95-100

99(c) - 0 displaying under transponders 0-14 and N/A under the remaining

103(s) and 99(s) - 0 displaying under transponders 0-6, 15-16, 17-24 and N/A under the remaining

103 (c) - 0 displaying under transponders 0-14 and N/A under the remaining

The H20 works perfect with one line but not the HR20/21. Do these boxes really require both lines be connected?

 

[Hemi 6.1]

99(c) - 0 displaying under transponders 0-14 and N/A under the remaining

103(s) and 99(s) - 0 displaying under transponders 0-6, 15-16, 17-24 and N/A under the remaining

103 (c) - 0 displaying under transponders 0-14 and N/A under the remaining

?

These are not acceptible signal levels. Either you have a connection problem ,or BBC is bad. Thats why your missing 50% of your HD. All your HD comes from the 2 103's and 2 99's. You may also not have the updated software if its not seeing 2 satellites at the 99. Call D*
Do you even have a 5 LNB Slimling Dish hooked up? If not Thats your problem

 

[dodge]

Do you have a B Band Convertor connected to both tuners???? I know I have had a few BBC's bad right out of the box, you need the B Band Convertot for the Hr21 to see 99 and 103 satellites. you should only have 3 transponders on 110 and maybe 7 on 119 as well.

 

[stewart715]

I definitely have the Slimline 5LNB. I have another HR20 downstairs with two lines connected (both with BBC modules) and everything works perfect.

This is what comes up when I do the setup with Slimline 5, Multiswitch, 1 Tuner:

Installation Status:
             99     101     103     110     119
Odd (13V):   X       ?       X      N/A      ?
Even (18V):  X       ?       X       ?       ?

Alert: No signal available on Tuner 2. Check your installation and re-rest.

 

[scottie_h]

I have an HR22 with only one tuner hooked up in our bedroom - and never get a 'no signal' message and all HD channels come in fine. It's not simply the fact that you only have one line hooked up. Sorry, I don't have further insight.

 

[stewart715]

I have an HR22 with only one tuner hooked up in our bedroom - and never get a 'no signal' message and all HD channels come in fine. It's not simply the fact that you only have one line hooked up. Sorry, I don't have further insight.

This just doesn't make any sense to me. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Hemi 6.1]

This just doesn't make any sense to me. Anyone have any suggestions?

Yes. Call Directv let them trouble shoot the problem.

 

[Jared Twomey]

sounds like a bad BBC to me

 

[Baboontyme]

Yes! I actually came on here to troubleshoot this very problem.

I believe you are correct - I believe that the HR21 DOES require 2 Satellite ins in order to run properly.

I have 4 lines run to my entertainment center in my basement and 4 HDTVs. I recently got 2 HR21s - one for my big TV in the basement, and one for my TV in the living room. Both ran fine for a few weeks but then I started having major pixelation issues on my HD locals on ONLY my HR21 boxes. Both only have 1 satellite in cable run to them. None of my other HDTVs which surround my big TV in my basement have pixelation issues on the HD locals, even when I'm running them simultaneously and I see the pixelation on the HR21 set. The other boxes are an HR20, a H20, and a H21. When the picture pixelates, I can see for a very short slit second an error message flash, but it isn't on long enough to read it. Upon consulting with an installer, he theorized the message might be saying "Searching for signal on Satellite 2" and that could be causing the pixelation.

To test, first I tried to hook one of the HR21s to another TV. Same problem. Eliminated that. Then I hooked 2 lines up to the HR21 (both with the converter box attached) and then to a TV and - what do you know - no pixelation problems.

So long story short, yes, I believe that this is what is causing our issues. Very frustrating. I went through the menu and it does not appear that you can turn the second satellite in "off".

Does anyone have any recommendations on what can be done to fix this?

Running a second line to each of my HR21s is a problem. I currently have an 8 way switch in my attic and am using 7 of the outputs on it. I realize I could switch to a 16 way switch but due to the location of each HR21, running another line to the basement would be impossible and running one to the living room would be very messy.

Would it work to get a 16 way multiswitch and then run my old 8 way multiswitch somewhere down in my basement off of one of the lines from the 16 way? I have no idea if this would work or not but it's the only thing I can think of......so I would have say 7 lines coming off of my 16 way multiswitch, one of which would be tied into an 8 way multiswitch, and then the 8 way would have 2 lines out of it????

This wouldn't solve my problem in the living room, but at least it would in the basement. I guess for the living room I would just have to get messy and try to run that 8th line.

Any ideas?

 

[iwc5893]

I just received a new HR21-100 HD DVR received. I plugged in my line to tuner one with the following correct settings:

Slimline 5-LNB
Normal 4x8 Multiswitch
1 Tuner
BBC Module Installed

However, I keep seeing messages that not signal was found on Tuner 2. Also, 50% of the HD channels do not come in at all while the other half comes in perfectly.

When it does the signal check it shows half with red X's and half with strong signal.

My question is, why is it trying to pull a signal from Tuner 2 when I have the 'single' tuner option selected. Are two lines required to receive all the HD channels?

Thanks Guys...

There's your problem...the 4x8 multiswitch is NOT compatible with the HD signals from the 99 and 103 sats. You will need a 6x8 multiswitch installed.

If you want to run only one tuner, I've found the best way to do that is to do a forced download with only the one tuner connected. I've never had much luck with using the menu options to disable the second tuner.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

It should be 4x4 multiswitch since thats whats on your Slimline LNB setup.

 

[Baboontyme]

If you want to run only one tuner, I've found the best way to do that is to do a forced download with only the one tuner connected. I've never had much luck with using the menu options to disable the second tuner.

Can you please explain what you mean here?

Also, how do I know if I have a 4x8 or 6x8?

 

[iwc5893]

Can you please explain what you mean here?

Also, how do I know if I have a 4x8 or 6x8?

Go out and look at the multiswitch. The 4 or 6 part refers to how many input ports it has. In addition, the 4x8 is a powered switch so it will have an additional cable coming into it. Thirdly, it says right on the switch what model it is.

If you don't have either one of these, you need to choose 4x4 like Hemi pointed out. This tells the receiver that it is a straight through connection.

As to doing a forced update, reboot the receiver using the menu options. When the first blue screen appears, enter 02468 on the remote before the next blue screen appears. This will force the receiver to download the latest software and usually configures the input connections correctly.

 

[Baboontyme]

Go out and look at the multiswitch. The 4 or 6 part refers to how many input ports it has. In addition, the 4x8 is a powered switch so it will have an additional cable coming into it. Thirdly, it says right on the switch what model it is.

If you don't have either one of these, you need to choose 4x4 like Hemi pointed out. This tells the receiver that it is a straight through connection.

As to doing a forced update, reboot the receiver using the menu options. When the first blue screen appears, enter 02468 on the remote before the next blue screen appears. This will force the receiver to download the latest software and usually configures the input connections correctly.

Thanks. Apparently that wasn't the issue. I do indeed have a 6x8 multiswitch hooked up, and I did the forced update. Still getting the pixelation. Considering the only time I got the pixelation to stop was when I had the two lines hooked into the receiver, that's gotta be it - right?

So I guess my question is (assuming I need to find a way to get two lines to my HR21) - can I switch my 6x8 to a larger, 16 way multiswitch and then run the 6x8 off of my four runs in my basement (4 ins = 5 outs in the basement)?

I have no idea how the technology works behind these switches.

 

[iwc5893]

Pixelation is generally related to signal strength, but not always. It can be a cable issue if the cable is damaged, the wrong type, or has an intermittent short.

To understand how a multiswtich works, you need to understand how the receivers select the channel you are watching. Each receiver sends a signal back to the LNB on the dish. Based upon what channel, and therefore what satellite/transponder, you are watching, it will send back one of 4 signals. For channels that are one the 99 and 101 sats odd transponders it sends back 13VDC. For 99 and 101 sats on even transponders, it sends back 18VDC. For the 103, 110, and 119 sats, it uses the same voltages as the 99/101 sats but adds a 22kHZ control tone to the signal.

What the multiswitch does is take those 4 combinations and lock in the 4 cables coming from the LNB assembly to each one. The switch then takes the signals coming back from the receivers and routes them to the appropriate leg on the input side of the switch to send the appropriate stream back to the receiver.

In order to rule out a switch issue, you can temporarily bypass it with a 3ghz barrel connector plugged into any one line from the input and the output going to the affected receiver and see if the problem clears itself.

You could also post your signal strengths on all sats/transponders, to see if you need a dish alignment.

Replacing your switch with a 6x16 is easy, although you will have to run an additional coax back to it for power. You could also daisy chain to 6x8's to give you 12 outputs or install a second 6x8 in parallel.